Captive parachute device



Feb. 1943- L. HAWTHORNE 2,311,171

CAPTIVE PARACHUTE DEVICE Filed May 7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,idaurenve 1 1a BY v R m. 11.8. PATENT figs/VT.

1943- L HAWTHORNE 2,311,171

' CAPTIVE PARACHUTE DEVICE Filed May 7,1941 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 T i I INVENTOR. 33 34 MZjf fluff/Q01 1??? R FA. 1/. 5. PA TENT flea Patented Feb. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATEIIT OFFIQE 2,311,17i oArrws f tment-ire Device Laurence Hawthorne, Los Angeles, Calif. Aiitiic'a'tion' 7, 1941, Sedan 1%. 392,266

(o1. ie-12 2 Claims.

My invention relates to captive parachutes suitable for the trainingof aviators and for the amusement of patrons of fairs and the like, the term, passengers,- being hereinafter employed to designate either aviators or patrons or both.

An object is'the provision of conditions that more closely simulate those attendant on the use of non-captive parachutes by aviators.

Another object is the provision of a novel descent-controlling means that will permit a rapid, thrilling and spectacular rate of descent at the outset and a safety-contributing,appreciable deceleration at the end of the drop.

Another object is the provision of said means but quickly regulable to also permit a' maximum uniformity of the rate of descent at any given stage thereof under the varyingload conditions imposed on the device by users of different Weights. I

Further objects and advantages present themselves in the herein described illustrative embodiments of my invention, aided by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation view of a captive-parachute tower provided with descentcontrolling means embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section' and partly in elevation, of said means.

Figure 3 is a similar view of certain essential parts in the foregoing, taken in an enlarged seale- Figure 4'is a plan view of the same. 7 I

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic, elevation view of a. complete assembly containing descent-controlling means embodying an alternative form of my invention, in which'a compression cham her for liquid or air or other gas is'used, instead of weights. a M

The captive-parachute arthas maturedto the point Where, so far as concerns safety for the' passengers, several satisfactory braking mechanisms are now available. In all of them, it'is" the rate of descent and/or the distance from the-ground that conditions their design, and-not another equally important factor that; until the present, has been ignored, namely, the desid'eratum of a high rate of descent at the outset. This, when the passengers are patrons at an amusement ground, is important because of the thrill it affords. When trainees are involved, it is important because it more closely" simulates the functioning of the non-captive parachute and thereby constitutes a gradual transition to the a'c'quirement of skill and confidence in' the useofthe latter type of parachute."

The attainment of the abovementioned desideratum, with conventional braking. mechanisms, is frustrated bythe extent of variation-in the live load. In the case of amusement devices, this variation mayrange conceivably from seventy-five to two-hundred and twenty pounds if the parachute is used by a child and then by a fairly heavy adult. If the conventional braking mechanism is adapted to lower the maximum live load with safety and land it gently, the descentuof the parachute at the outset, when used with a minimum live load, would be so sluggish as to dissatisfy with reference both to thrill, and simulation of the functioning of the non-captive type of parachuta.

Recognizing that a rapid initial descent, combined withga gentle landing and safety throughout the entire descent, is possible only by making a radical departure from conventional designs of braking mechanisms, I have developed the present invention, whose difference from the conventional designs is so marked as to warrant the use of a correspondingly distinctive term. namely, a descent-controlling means, instead of referring to itas a brake. Obviously a device that deliberately facilitates a rapid initial descentcannot be regarded any longer as a. brake.

The details of my invention are laid bare in the following, description.

Referring to various figures, there is a parachute tower or main supporting structure H that is provided With one or more arms l2, only one such arm l2 being shown in the view, a jumping ofi platform l3 and a housing M for the descent-controlling means that embodies my invention. To avoid the complication of a revolving tower or revolving superstructure supporting arm l2, I prefer to adopta plurality of such arms so that, when a wind prevails that is'strong enough to cause fouling of the tower by the descending parachute and its passenger, a leewardly disposed arm may be used.

Secured to the descent-controlling means is a cable l9, riding over pulleys or sheaves 2i and 20 and supporting, by the parachute-end thereof, captive parachute 22 at its peak, the canopy andthe shrouds thereof being indicated by Hi and I6, respectively. The passenger is indicated by I7, the harness or seat not being'shown'. Although the passenger may-be hoisted together withtheparachute, I prefer thatmy device be of the ,free-jump type, in which the passenger ascends the tower by a therewithin disposed elefastened into the harness borne by the shrouds of the waiting, elevated parachute preparatory to jumping from the platform.

The numeral 23 indicates a pit of yieldable material, wood-shavings or the like, for the passenger to land in, which pit is preferably annularly disposed around the base of the tower so as to be available to passengers landing in it from any one of a plurality of arms I2.

Guided in and by tube [8 is rod 33 secured to lowermost primary weight or primary weights 32, the topmost or lastly engageable, primary superposed weight being indicated by 26. Intermediately engageable, other primary superposed weights are indicated by 28, 30, 29 and 3!, weight 29 being heavier than weight 32 and preferably heavier than weights 3|] and 3| as well, weight 3| being referred to herein also as lowermost superposed weight. The primary weights rest on shoulders inside of housing [4 and. each is provided underneath thereof with two or more springs 21, whose function is to lessen the shock and the noise as the weights are successively engaged in the direction of arrow 34. Instead of springs, other resilient means, such as rubber cushions may be used. Piercing the weights centrally thereof and secured, at the bottom, to weight 32, and, at the top, to block 24 of tackle 40-44 is cable or rod or attenuated member 25, cable l9 being reeved around tackle 40-24 and secured to block 24, as may be clearly seen in Figure 2, the cable-accommodating holes in the weights not being designated by numbers.

Referring particularly to Figures 3 and 4, the numeral 35 indicates a secondary weight that is selectively engageable and non-engageable by weight 26. In the non-engageable state, it is disposed outside of the vertical planes common to the primary weights, that in non-functioning state, are disposed in horizontal planes underlying that of the secondary weight. With latch 36 open, weight 35 is disposable to overly weight 25, whereupon latch 36 may be swung into closed position to embrace attenuated member 25 and thereby prevent coaxial displacement of weight 35 relatively to weight 26. Complete displacement therefrom is prevented by the walls of housing l4. Consequently, the elimination of latch 36 from the construction is conceivable under certain conditions, whereby still quicker adjustment of the descent-controlling means by appropriate disposal of the secondary weight is conceivable.

A similar secondary weight may of course be provided and adapted to overly any other one of said primary weights, or a plurality of such secondary weights may be arranged for in the device, engageable by one or by a plurality of primary weights. Instead of being directly engaged by the primary weights, the secondary weights may be directly engaged by collars or flanges or the like fixed to attenuated member 25.

The displacement of each secondary weight and the locking and unlocking of it does not require more than twenty seconds of time and probably, in the case of most attendants, very much less than that.

When a minimum live load is in question, the secondary weight or weights are disposed outside of said vertical planes. The greater the number of secondary weights, the more adequate the compensation for variations in live loads and the greater the uniformity of the rate of descent under all load conditions at any given stage of the descent.

If, as the views show, a plurality of six weights be used, I prefer that, regarding the weights from the bottom upwardly, the second, third and fourth weights each exceed in weight the respectively thereunderlying weight, the excess in weight of the fourth weight over that of the third being greater than the other differences thereamong. This explains the double-thick weight 29, which weight is engaged when the parachute hasapproached the ground rather closely. However, under certain design conditions, the penultimate weight, per example, in the views, being 28 or the fifth primary weight, can be the extra heavy weight instead of 29, to cause a sudden deceleration near the ground after a relatively speedy descent. Under still other design conditions, it is conceivable that even the lastly engageable weight be the one having an excess in weight over the thereunderlying weight that is greater than any other weight-difference between adjacent primary weights in the assembly. Also, within the scope of my invention, is the employment of as few as three primary weights instead of the six in the views, or the employment of an even greater number of primary weights.

I employ a tackle of many sheaves in order to obtain a large ratio of movement of cable l9 to that of attenuated member 25, with the result that the entire assembly of weights may be compact and readily accessible to a ground attendant for operation and maintenance without the need of ascending any structure thereat. This has reference particularly tothe operation of frequently and quickly shifting or displacing the secondary weights in response to signals from the platform attendant on platform i3 regarding the weight of the live load.

It would of course not necessarily involve inventive application to contrive a corresponding functioning in cylinder 38 by an arrangement of cam-operated ports, thereby constituting this device into a mechanical equivalent of the gravity type of descent-controlling means illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Also, it would be a matter of ordinary skill of design and construction to install, on platform [3 or elsewhere on or near the tower, a weighing scale actuated by the live load and associated with the descent-controlling means electrically or otherwise to automatically shift the secondary Weights into or out of engageable position or to operate similarly functioning alternative devices, such as that illustrated in Figure 5.

Having reference to the primary weights, the secondary weight may be described as being therewith selectively coaxially and non-coaxially disposable, or, more simply, as being therewith selectively engageable and non-engageable. The primary weights may be said to be mutually coaxial.

The canopy is retained in an extended position by its embodiment of the usual rigid ring, which need not be shown in the views. Also not shown in the views but conceivable is the preferable utilization of a relatively thin but strong and hardly visible central cab-1e that extends in a slack state from cable l9 or other peak elements of the canopy downwardly to the harness or seat supporting the live load. This extra provision for safety is advisable to reassure patrons or trainees concerned with the possibility of failure of the ring or shrouds or other parts.

I claim:

1. A captive parachute device characterized by: a parachute; a main supporting structure; a housing whose interior is open at the top thereof; disposed within said housing and individually alternately supported by parts thereof, one lowermost superposed weight and at least one other superposed weight, each thereof being provided with a cable-accommodating hole, said holes being aligned substantially vertically with one another; mounted on said structure, at least two sheaves; reeved thereover, a cable, a weightadjacent part thereof disposed adjacently said housing and through said holes; a parachuteend of said cable supporting said parachute; a terminal weight supported by said weight-ad.-

jacent part, said lowermost superposed weight being superposed over said terminal weight, said other superposed weight being superposed over said lowermost superposed weight, whereby said terminal weight is adapted to alternately lift directly said lowermost superposed weight and to alternately lift indirectly said other superposed weight through the medium of said lowermost superposed weight, under the impulse of the descending said parachute, and whereby the operator of the parachute is eased to the ground.

2. A device as in claim 1, at least one of said weights having attached thereto resilient means adapted to intervene between it and another one of said weights.

LAURENCE HAWTHORNE. 

